10 Things Brands Need to Know About Gamers

Gaming is growing! In 2013, 58% of U.S. population ages 13+ were into gaming. Today, 66% percent say they regularly play video games. And, by 2020, the global video game market is expected to be worth over $90 billion. Gaming has become an integral part of the mainstream entertainment diet. In fact, 11% of gamers’ leisure time is spent playing video games or engaging in eSports. Interestingly, time spent on in-person social activities continues to capture more share among gamers, pointing to a potential opportunity for content creators to further engage gamers through social or group play experiences.

1. Both men and women enjoy video games. 47% of men and 40% of women say they play video games at least sometimes.
2. Consumers of all ages love to play games: 60% of 18-29, 53% 30-49, 32% of 50-64, and 24% of those 65+ report playing video games at least occasionally.
3. Gaming consoles are the preferred platform – 49% of all gamers prefer consoles to mobile devices (30%) or computers (21%).
4. Among those players who prefer to play on a gaming console, 66% say they prefer physical versions of games to digital ones. These consumers tend to spend about $23 per month on their favorite games.
5. While gamers overall prefer physical games over digital, digital gamers spend more than one extra hour playing each week (physical gamers – 5 hours per week, digital gamers – 6.4 hours per week).
6. Although gaming consoles may be the preferred platform among gamers, 72% of mobile users in the U.S. are mobile phone gamers. The most popular type of mobile games are puzzles, board games, card games, and game shows.
7. In the U.S., mobile gamers played an average of 1.3 games per day and 3.6 games monthly.
8. It’s estimated that 60% of children in the U.S. play games on a console and 63% play games on a mobile device.
9. Twenty-six percent of home console gamers say they spent 61-80% of their time playing multiplayer games online.
10. Almost 70% of gamers watch gaming-related content on YouTube, but Twitch continues to gain momentum as the second-most popular source of game play videos (21%).

As consumers increasingly turn to video games for entertainment, brands have an opportunity to continue to attract new players. However, the growing volume of titles, console options, and mobile downloads can leave consumers overwhelmed by choice. Gamers want game experiences that are tailored to them and delivered by brands that understand their needs and whose core values align with their own.

Experiential strategies allow game brands to introduce their products to consumers in a context that’s unique to the brand and personalized for the consumer. Contact us today to learn about Inspira Marketing’s suite of experiential services.

Sources: Nielsen Games 360 U.S. Report, 2018, WePC 2018 Video Game Industry Statistics, Trends & Data